forces afghanistan. thank you for your years of great service to this nation and your willingness to serve once again. let me also extend thanks to your families. support is so essential to yours and the nation's success as is the tradition of the kennedy i would invite each of you to introduce any family members or friends who may be here with you to make your opening remarks. general thurman's nomination as the commander of u.s. forces in korea comes at a time of significant change and simmering change on the korean peninsula. our commitment to peace and stability in the region remains steadfast and alliance with the republic of korea is as strong as ever. the strength of that alliance will be particularly important over the next few years as we are embarked on an ambitious realignment of our forces on the peninsula and need to deal with the unpredictable and aggressive behavior of the north korean regime that continues to follow the destructive path of an international pariah. general thurman experien